Author(s): M. Pivato; L. Carniello; D. Viero; M. Marani; S. Silvestri

Linked Author(s): Marco Marani

Keywords: Temperature dynamics; Shallow water basins; Sediment-water interface; Heat flux; Venice lagoon

Abstract: Water and sediment temperature plays a crucial role for the eco-bio-morphodynamic evolution of coastal ecosystems. Investigating the temperature dynamics of the water-sediment continuum in shallow water environments is therefore a crucial task. Water and sediment temperature dynamics is a first order control of the coastal ecosystems eco-bio-morphodynamic evolution. Many physical and biological processes are directly linked to temperature like: organic matter production and decomposition rates, and thus greenhouse-gases emission and uptake, dissolved oxygen level, the growth and survival of microphytobenthic biomass. Water and sediments temperature also controls water transparency, i.e. the light transmittance through the water column, that affects seagrass growth. Moreover, affecting the seagrass and microphytobenthos proliferation, sediment and water temperature indirectly affects also the morphodynamic evolution of the environments. The aim of the present study is to investigate, observationally and numerically, the evolution of the temperature profile in the water-sediment continuum in a very shallow tidal environment, focusing in particular on the energy flux at the Sediment-Water Interface (SWI). We performed a field campaign in the Venice lagoon, collecting temperature data in the water and within the soil enabled us to analyze the flux at the SWI and to develop a 1-D model for describing the vertical energy transfer and the vertical temperature profile time evolution.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-981-11-2731-1_098-cd

Year: 2018